Mulitnode server

• US 20030074475A1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus
• Original Assignee: Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus
• Inventors: Ollikainen, Ville
• Application Number:
  US10/168,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20030074475A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The server comprises a plurality of nodes and links connecting the nodes. Each node can serve a single user or multiple users. A data storage means (42) in the node is designed to serve not only its own users but also other nodes of the decentralized file server so that files incoming to the node can be distributed forward to at least two other nodes of the server. A file fetched by several users simultaneously is copied automatically into a plurality of nodes in the file server. The nodes have conversion means (44) for converting a file requested by a user from one type to another type. The conversion can only be carried out in the node the user is connected to. Calculation capacity for executing the conversion can also be decentralized to several nodes. This is especially advantageous when the calculation load for the processor in one node is very high due to various simultaneous conversion processes.

Claims

1. A file server system for distributing files to user terminals connected to the server, comprising:

a plurality of nodes, each including a data storage means for storing files, and at least one data connection for communicating with a user connected to the node and having limited capacity to process files;

a plurality of internal links for connecting each node to at least two other nodes;

each node including means for routing

a formatted file received from one of the internal links to the node;

a file stored in the data storage to at least one of the internal links, and

a file received from one of the internal links and destined for another node to another internal link;

characterized in that;

the node includes conversion means for converting a formatted file routed to the node into another format prior to delivery of the file to a user terminal, converted data are stored on the hard disk if the rate of data incoming from an internal link is higher than the bandwidth of the communication link between the file server and the user terminal but sufficient to carry out conversion at the minimum speed required for presentation and when the amount of converted data file is smaller than the amount of unconverted data,

the nodes including same kind of conversion means are located physically near each other to form a node group.

2. A file server system as in claim 1, wherein conversion means perform a file type conversion.

3. A file server system as in claim 1, wherein conversion means perform protocol conversion.

4. A file server system as in claim 1, wherein converted data are transmitted directly to the user without buffering on the hard disk if data rate incoming to the node is slower than the bandwidth of the internal link and conversion can be performed at the minimum rate required for presentation.

5. A file server system as in claim 1, wherein a piece of converted data is buffered on the hard disk if the incoming data rate is slower than the bandwidth of the internal link but conversion cannot be performed at the minimum rate required for presentation.

6. A file server system as in claim 1, wherein conversion means in each of the nodes are identical.

7. A file server system as in claim 1, wherein a plurality of nodes are designated to given conversion tasks, whereupon these nodes means offer conversion capacity to the rest of the nodes.

8. A file server system as in claim 1, wherein during data transfers among the nodes routes, the data transfer routes are alternated in a predetermined way.

9. A file server system as in claim 1, wherein user terminals requesting same kind of conversion are connected to the same node group.